March of Cesare
by afropunk365
Summary: First FF please be gentle :    M   for language and maybe some business time. Don't know haven't gotten there yet. Ezio A. x OC plus some other characters you may know. Ezio struggles with a clash of conscious and creed.
1. Prelude

Hola! Thanks ahead of time for reading. If you see any errors in my language translations or elsewhere please let me know. The story does not fully follow the story line of the game but hey I'm a fangrl. What do fangrls and bois write for if not the imagination.

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><p>He couldn't see anything through the woven sack that had been placed over his head, but he could smell and hear the city. The smell of the fruit merchants selling their wares in the square and the freshly lain bales of hay. As a stiff breeze blew through the holes in his tattered shirt he swore he could smell the flowers from the <em>Colosseo<em>. The crowd was getting heavy. The passing whispers in anticipation of an event that had him feeling only overwhelming dread.

"How could they even catch me? _Impossibile_!" He wondered to himself.

He had been no less precautious or deadly and yet here he was. He had expected them to kill him immediately on the street, but orders restrained them. Instead he was dragged back to the prison. It was a place filled with the cries and moans of men less fortunate than him. In a week he would be hanged and free from this hell. The stench was acrid and there was not a day that it didn't take his breath away. Vomit, urine, blood and every other odor possible on the borders of death. Each day tossed a bowl of something that looked like it used to be soup and a loaf of bread that was already turning green. He had to eat it anyway. Christ only knows when the opportunity for escape would present itself so he needed to keep his strength.

Three days of nonstop beatings straight into three days of torture in the dungeon. He only knew that because of markings he was able to make on the stone walls using a finger bone from a skeleton left in his cell. The beatings were surprisingly bearable even if they did happen with both frequency and ferocity. The torture almost broke him, but he would not let them know that. Times and a half on the racks as his captors attempted to extract from him assassins' names and den locations. Winces and grunts of pain were all the Borgia _cani _would get.

Even without the location information the Borgia seemed to be making dents in the assassin population. Each day three or four more of his apprentices and each day he managed to stand through the pain to give them a nod of salute as they passed his cell.

"_Mentore_" they would say as they gave a reverential nod with a clenched fist over the heart. He could only assume that the brothers he did not see had been killed.

When they snatched the sack from his head he was for a moment blinded by the light. As his eyes refocused he could see the reason they had saw fit to take him out for a stroll. The gallows. He stood as erect as possible. He would die as a man with his head held high for a creed he believed in. The crowds begin to press in on them. A wide range of emotions in their faces; anger, fear, hate, love. The guard's grip tightened on his bicep, just in case this was a trap. And then there it was. The ominous white robe was gliding through the crowd. A ghost. A vision. The one thing that always gave him hope, for a vision of Altair meant that there was a means of escape for him. Every muscle in his body tensed as he scanned for an exit. The rooftops? Covered every few yards by Borgia bowmen. A blend into the crowd? Guards everywhere. Not a horse in sight. He looked again into the crowd and...

"Altair?" He muttered under his breath because surely it could not be possible. Usually his visions of the Master Assassin vanished in an instant, but this vision had remained. Almost as if it were real. The vision turned to face him. The white robe was shimmering in the sun like an angel. With the slight flash of light he could see the face. The surprise came over him so quickly that he stopped dead in his tracks. This distracted his guards for a moment and they begin to struggle with him attempting to pull him toward the gallows. The tussle incited the crowds even more.

"_Morte agli assassini! Morte agli assassini!_"

His guards were not easily winning their battle despite the fact that his hands were bound in front of him. He gave the guard to his right a swift knee to the stomach followed by an elbow to his left jaw. The blow staggered him enough for Ezio to knock him out with a strike to his forehead by his own. The remaining guard grabbed him from behind pinning his arms to his side. Another guard rushed in from the crowd and punched him as hard as his might would allow in the face. His hopes were that the blow would render Ezio unconscious, but a quick split second dodge caused the majority of the force to glance off his chin. Ezio repaid in kind by giving the assaulter a crippling kick to the stomach. He managed to wrestle out of the grip of the guard restraining him and was able to toss him headlong into his still reeling comrade. One of the rooftop bowmen shot an arrow into the ground only paces in front of him giving fair warning that any further resistance would be met with an arrow to the chest. He stood his ground as a new set of escorts made their way toward him. They were merely seconds away when Altair stepped into their path.

"_Traditore_!" Altair shouted. A word he thought he would never hear in his lifetime.

"_Traditore_?" No sooner had the whisper left his lips than did Altair produce a crossbow from his hilt and fire.

The arrow struck Ezio in the abdomen. He pulled it from his stomach letting out a gasp as it exited his body. After the pain there was something else, overwhelming warmth.

"Is this what death feels like?" He thought to himself. It was not as cold and fearful as he imagined. It was almost...welcoming. He closed his eyes to embrace it.


	2. Chapter 1

Howdy! Thanks again for reading. As always please pm me with any language translation issues or otherwise.

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><p>He ran quickly along the rooftops. Many late nights were spent doing so. The clinking sound they made underneath his feet was as sweet as the songs his mother sang to him as a boy. It was his comfort. It was his joy. It was the calm before the storm. Tonight he was not out for a contemplating stroll, but a task. A Borgia courier was traveling under the cloak of night and he had to intercept the message. In it he hoped to find details about Cesare's planned attack on their headquarters and if he was lucky Rodrigo's whereabouts. The moonlight reflected off of his scimitar and caught the eye of a passing patrol, but in a flash he was gone and they presumed that it was merely a <em>fantasma<em>. He glanced back to give a wily grin even if it was for no one but himself.

His full sprint slowed to a creep as he reached the supposed traveling path of his target. He had to keep a watchful eye since the young man was rumored to be dressed in disguise. He crouched on the edge of a roof which overlooked the roadway. He waited for what felt like an eternity.

"Hmm perhaps the source of this information is not as reliable as we imagined" he thought to himself. "15 minutes more." He heaved an almost audible sigh, but continued the intense watch. Only moments later a raggedly dressed young man appeared. He is no older than eighteen and walks slowly down the street. He is followed closely by two very large guards. After walking for a distance it is quite clear that they are his protection. Ezio laughs to himself.

"_Idioti_. Do they not realize that without the escorts the boy would have gone unnoticed?" The guards are fully armored and massive in size. He cannot see an opening through which to shoot a poison dart. One of the guards is carrying a war hammer and the other a halberd.

"_Merda_" he sighs and runs his hand over his face exasperated. Close combat with these _bastardi_ is never easy and he almost always winds up limping home. Regardless, the short distance he has to make his approach is ending quickly.

The hair on the back of his neck stands up. He feels a presence on the roof with him. He dares not make a sudden move as that would give away his position to the courier who would surely take off running. So he sits and waits for an attack. If he can execute the ones on the ground first his rooftop companion will be no trouble. So with haste he drops on top of the halberd guard and executes him immediately. The second swings his war hammer forcefully striking him in the chest armor. The blow throws him leaving him winded only a few paces from the young courier who is now frozen with fear. The massive guard swings again, but is slow and clumsy. Ezio dodges around to his rear and slices him with his hidden blade in the only spot venerable. A common showing of arrogance among the fully armored guard was to leave the tiny showing of skin between the chest plate and the helmet unprotected. He never hesitated to exploit it. As the man slumps to the street gurgling Ezio walks casually over to the nearly tearful courier.

"_Per favore non mi uccida assassino. Per favore."_

"You have nothing to fear. Just give me the document you are carrying" Ezio's voice is strong, but reassuring. Shakily the pale faced boy hands over the papers.

"_Grazie_" he bows slightly smiling and backs away.

In a flash Ezio is on his back. A painful burning sensation creeps across his forearm and blood begins to seep through his shirt. He attempts to grab his assailant, but the attacker escapes. Ezio is stunned and confused for a moment. Why attack him if not to kill him? He pats his pockets to take stock of his person. Perhaps it was just a thief. He had only a few florins so it was no matter, but…

"The documents!" He ran full speed after the thief. Years of free running had made him very fast. Within moments he was closing in on his pickpocket, even faster than he expected. He begins to suspect a trap, but he could not stop the pursuit now. He had to have back the documents. Ezio ran even faster in hopes of subduing his thief before he made it to the ambush location. The sweat was streaming down his face. All of this intensity was exhausting, but exciting. He ignored the burning in his chest even as the thief easily scaled the wall and darted across the roof. He followed quickly without even noticing that a fresh night patrol had just taken duty.

"You are not supposed to be up here" they shouted after him. Since they were all well rested the shots from their crossbows were true, but he was moving too fast. After several misses an arrow clanged noisily off of his shoulder armour and fell to the ground. The clamor startled the thief who turned to see if Ezio had in fact been injured. This glance cost him a couple of steps which was all that Ezio needed. When he attempted to leap from one building to the next Ezio was right on top of him. He caught the pickpocket mid-air and the two of them fell hard to the ground.

Ezio was the first to regain his bearings and lifted the dust covered coughing thief to his feet. He slammed him into the stone wall of the narrow street.

"Who are you? Why did you steal these from me?" he growled holding the runner and pressing his bleeding forearm into his neck. The thief did not respond.

"Who are you?" Ezio growled furiously slamming him even harder into the wall. The slam was hard enough to produce a slight moan. Ezio raised an eyebrow in concern as he pulled back the hood on the robe. Silky ringlets of long brown hair fell from underneath it. He was met face to face with the most intense green eyes he had ever seen. Her face was exquisite.

"_Una donna_" the words floated in the air, but he was unable to close his mouth after uttering them.

"What is the matter have you never seen a woman before?" She pushed him away from her. She was very good at pretending, but she had to do more than that to hide how surprised she was at his appearance. He was extremely handsome. Their bodies were pressed together when he had her subdued and from what she could feel he possessed the body of a man half his age. The words he had spoken to her had been few, but their deep velvety sounds were enough to melt the ice on the _Appennini_ themselves. She was truly flustered, but maintained her appearance.

"I have seen many a_donna_" he responded raising an eyebrow and smiling playfully. She scowled which snapped him back into the moment. She had attacked him and stolen from him. He grabbed her wrist firmly.

"Who are you?" His voice lowered almost to the point of a growl.

"Francesca" she tried to pull away from him, but his grip was strong. He pushed her back into the wall bringing his face so close to her own she was momentarily shaken.

"I did not ask your name _bella donna_. I asked who you are."

"I am the person who is here to kill you" she felt that she could be honest with him. Their time together was brief, but she had spent its entirety sizing him up and had decided she could take him if it was necessary. As such she was not surprised when his eyes softened and a grin crept across his face at her response.

"Now who do you presume me to be? What would make you want to kill me?" He whispered in her ear. He removed his hand from her wrist but kept her pinned against the wall by pressing his body against hers.

"What is he doing?" she thought to herself as his hands traced over her frame. He was careful to avoid any areas that would cause her undue embarrassment. His beard brushed against her face. The sudden coolness of the night caused the perspiration to steam off of his body. She closed her eyes and was nearly caught up in the heightened moment when she realized he was searching for her weapons. With a pair of well placed hands and three quick moves she was free and planted him face first against the wall.

"You are Ezio Auditore. _Maestro Assassino._ A spiller of blood and killer of innocent men" He frowned; huffing at the accusation. He had never killed an innocent. He was a man of the people and his creed compelled him to fight for them. He pushed back against her forcefully. During her attempt to compensate he used her forward momentum to flip her to the street. The clink of his hidden blade extending echoed into the night. He slid it slowly across her neck. She breathed a wincing sigh as a small trickle of blood ran to the ground.

"Those words should almost be bitter coming from an assassin" he manages to speak through clinched teeth

"I am no assassin" she hissed.

"Mercenary then?" She doesn't respond so he knows it to be true.

"Yes. You do know we are allies."

"I am a mercenary but I am no member of the guild"

"So a person who kills for money without creed or honor accuses me of killing innocents? I should kill you now on principle." A fire flashed in his intoxicating eyes that she had not yet seen. She knew she had hit a sore spot for him and in this moment there was little keeping him from applying a bit more pressure to his blade. Except that she interested him. She had bested him twice. His eyes scanned her body. Her lips were beautiful and supple. Save for his blade an elegant neck. Under the robe she wore a tattered tunic that exposed her...

"When you kill the Borgia guards you do so without mercy. You never stop to think that these men could be fathers! Husbands! Sons! You only think of them as Borgia _cani_"

"They are!" he replied angrily pushing his blade harder into her throat. She replied hoarsely

"Tell me in this city what other choice do poor men have. If you are not skilled at crafting then you must become a merchant, but even they have guilds. Pay is required for entrance and every month afterward to stay protected from those of the Borgia guard that are corrupt. What poor man barely feeding his family can afford that?" As he exhaled she could feel the muscles in his body relax slightly.

"There are still other ways." His voice was deep and contemplating.

"What other ways are there? If he can raise a sword his choices are a thief, a mercenary or an _assassino_"

"_Si_ and none of those choices is the Borgia."

"If a man wishes to be a mercenary he must first complete his initial mercenary assignment for guild entry. Even then he does not receive his full pay for months. The only way into the thieves' guild is to commit a crime or be imprisoned. A risk a man with a hungry family cannot afford. Oh, but for a chance to speak with the _Maestro Assassino_" he smiled slightly. To hear her say it was almost as good as her uttering his name.

"He is a man who prides himself on being invisible and striking from the shadows. Most people claim he doesn't even exist that he is just a _fantasma_. How am I to find him in order to join his guild? So that leaves us with only one choice. The Borgia have posters all around the city a man need only go to barracks and ask to enlist. He receives a steady pay with no questions asked and his family is provided for." For this brief moment she could see in his face that she had given him pause. Had he really never thought about it?

He lifted his knee from her belly finally allowing her to breathe freely. Standing he extended his hand and lifted her off the ground. She looked him directly in the eyes, but he turned away.

"Is that who commissioned you? One of their families? I do have restraint. I never attack a man that feel is yielding even in the heat of battle. I fight for the people to protect them. _Per liberarli._" She could hear the concern in his voice though he was no longer facing her. A bit of past sympathy for the men he had killed? Perhaps thinking in his head if there was ever a time when he could have let one of them live and he did not. She was almost pained for him and had they been living different lives she might have embraced him.

"I still do not understand how you could feel that you are any different." The confidence had returned to eyes. "You kill men for money."

"I do not take all commissions." She walked closer to him. Using a single finger to trace his armour she circled him.

"I like to study my target first. I realize people often commission me based on emotion. They do not consider the reason for the other person's actions. I consider. And, if I deem them unworthy," she grabbed the leather strap that held his chest armor pulling him closer. Her lips were almost touching his. He could nearly taste her.

"I kill them" she whispered placing the edge of her dagger underneath his armor. He looked her squarely in the eyes waiting for the next move. Several seconds of eternity passed them by. She retracted the blade and backed away. As she turned to leave he took a moment to appreciate her walking way.

"What is the matter? Here I am. You came this far not to kill me. Or are you realizing you can't?" She froze dead in her tracks.

"Is he questioning my skill?" she thought angrily. She could feel his brazen smile boring a hole through her. She turned with a battle cry and ran at him full speed; flashes of her dagger glinting as she sprinted. Yes! This was what he had been waiting for. A smile arched across his face. He ran toward her at full speed.

He was not quite within striking distance when she slid to his right as if across a frozen lake. The move kicked up a spray of gravel that took him by surprise.

"Dodging before I strike" he thought, but the maneuver was brilliant.

He felt the slight breeze as her dagger as it passed his face. He spun to adjust. His blade deflected a downward blow towards his neck. She immediately countered with knee to the stomach taking his breath away, but he remained unfazed and reached out to grab her. In an immediate instinctive action she dropped to a knee and used a quick swing of the other to knock his legs from beneath him. With a spring from crouch she mounted him before he even hit the ground.

When the plume of dust settled on the street she sat on him silently still holding her dagger, but not at him. Her eyes were glaring.

"I_mpressionante_" he said barely audible through an askew smile. The smile was temporary. His skin prickled as he heard a hasty clanging of metal boots against the stone street. The guards were coming, but she didn't move. She watched him instead. She saw the rise and fall of his chest slowing. A concentrated practice of calming the mind and the breath before a strike since only a concentrated man is a deadly one. With a slight roll of his shoulder he subconsciously adjusted his vambrace. He listened intensely to decipher the direction of their approach. He was a warrior to the core. The arrival of the patrol of four in the alley was the only thing that snapped her out of the haze.

"What is going on here?" the Borgia captain demanded his sword at the ready. She looked at them and back at Ezio. Now it was her turn to smile mischievously. He could feel the anxiousness well up in his heart.

"She is not going to..."

"Help! Help me!" a beautiful woman, a hooded man; who was to question.

"_Cazzo!_" he pushed her off of him in disgust and sprinted down the street for a few paces before scaling a wall. The guards were not far behind. She used their distraction as an opportunity to climb to the nearest rooftop.

"Lo starò a guardarti assassino!" she shouted after him as the troop chased him across the rooftops.


	3. Chapter 2

By the time he returned to the den he knew it would only be an hour or so before the sun would peek over the horizon. He had managed to escape the initial set of guards but every patrol was put on alert. Spending the past few hours darting from one shadowy corner the next had exhausted him. He slammed the door to the den in huff. The distress on his face was clear to the apprentices that were already awake.

"Mentore?" The young assassin in charge of the shortly ending watch walked over to him. He stared at Ezio keenly awaiting the slightest indication that something was wrong. Ezio sighed and smiled grimly. The apprentices were always at the ready to live and die for the creed.

"Tutto va bene." He replied and with a reassuring hand to the shoulder Ezio permanently set him at ease.

"Send word to Niccolò. Tell him that I have the documents from the courier." The young assassin nodded a farewell and left.

"Put these in a safe place. I am going to get some sleep" he stated handing the documents off to another member of the night watch.

In his room he removed the armour from his body with a sigh of relief. He looked it over after placing it on its stand. He needed to clean it when he woke. Too many blood stains attracted attention. It took more than a few winces and grunts to pull his shirt over his head. He was black and blue. The bruising was mainly from the war hammer to the chest, but there was a small area reddening on his stomach.

"Francesca" he shook his head in disbelief. There was fresh water waiting in his room and he poured it into the basin to quickly wash the cut on his arm. He imagined her to be doing the same even though he had given her significantly less of a beating. The warmth of the water caused the wound to bleed again. Grabbing fresh linen from the bandage basket he wrapped it tightly. He looked at his reflection again. There was strand of grey starting to grow into his beard. With an exasperated sigh he blew out the candle and collapsed on the bed.

He lay motionless with his eyes closed, but was unable to sleep. He listened and waited. Someone was watching and his senses would not settle until he found out whom. Before he could open his eyes a stiff Italian breeze gave the answer. The subtle lavender scent that wafted in brought a smile to his face.

"_Mentore_." Ezio struggled to open his eyes.

"_Mentore_." Two calls neither of them urgent Niccolò must have arrived. He rolled over opening his eyes.

"_Sì_?" His voice was quite gruff after his quick sleep.

"_Signore_ Machiavelli has arrived."

"_Sì_." He nodded. The apprentice turned to leave.

"Was there anything strange on the watch last night?" Ezio knew that there was, but he needed to judge where to concentrate today's training.

"_Bene_ for the most part _mentore_. Though there was a strange feel in the air shortly after you arrived this morning." Ezio smiled an approval. The apprentice pleased with his observation nodded with a clinched fist over his heart and left the room.

A short time later Ezio sauntered downstairs. Having painstakingly cleaned his armor, checked his weapons and redressed his wounds. He could hear Niccolò before he saw him. The agitation in his voice was undeniable.

"Do you realize how much danger your actions put us all in. The potential to destroy everything we have worked for here"

"_Sì Signore_"

"Having that watch is a privilege and was only given to you because you are the most trained."

"_Sì Signore_" Ezio rounded the corner only to witness Niccolò scolding one of the senior apprentices. He walked over to the table where several recruits were sitting pretending not to be watching the exchange. Grabbing a fruit from the bowl he took a seat to watch the morning entertainment.

"You will be on a den cleaning assignment with the recruits until I feel you can be trusted again"

"_Sì Signore" _the apprentice nodded and exited promptly.

"What is the matter? Did he steal your florins?" Ezio said jokingly.

"He was head of the watch last night and I found him on the roof sleeping shortly after my arrival. He had not yet been relieved." Ezio's eyes darted away guiltily. He had an idea of whom, but not how. He was in deep thought trying to trace every possible route a person could use to overtake a senior apprentice with a rooftop advantage when Niccolò interrupted.

"You look like a man who has wrestled with the Devil himself" he quipped mockingly.

"Worse. A woman." Ezio replied shaking his head.

"I know. Several of the apprentices witnessed." Ezio's head snapped around to glare at his fellow table guests. He felt like he was 12 again and Federico had just told his mother of the grapes he had stolen at the market. Everyone at the table looked down, suddenly extremely interested in their meal.

"Really? Did they happen to witness where she went?" Ezio replied with a chuckle.

"Umm no." Niccolò gave Ezio a stern look that made him aware that this matter was more serious than he was making it. His side glance to the other apprentices caused them to stand uniformly and began leaving without a word.

"_Un momento_" Ezio saw a face he did not recognize and instinctively reached out and snatched the arm. It was a young woman. Her face beamed at the attention as if to say "He noticed me".

"_Mentore_ this is Lucia _la donna_ you recruited from the market days ago." The senior apprentice rendered a quick reminder since the poor recruit did not realize how much danger she truly was in.

Lucia remembered trying to pickpocket him in the market. Ezio grabbed her so quickly she drew her dagger merely out of shock. He extended both of his hidden blades and with a shrug and a smirk responded simply "Really?"

"I have been training her in your absence as you instructed. I feel she is ready to begin training with you. Her progress has been quick." Lucia grinned from ear to ear not so much at the complement as at Ezio. He did not share her excitement and kept a straight face when he replied.

"_Sì._ I have been quite busy. Today we will go to the training grounds and see what you have learned. If you have progressed far enough I will begin your training."

"_Sì_" she replied nodding eagerly. The senior apprentice gave her a small look of surprise.

"Umm _Mentore._" Her face reddened in embarrassment. This elicited a slight grin from Ezio as he bowed graciously to dismiss her.

When the room gained the privacy he desired Niccolò finally saw fit to break his gaze from the cityscape and his silence.

"That woman clearly got the better of you last night. We cannot afford for anything to distract, especially in light of this troubling news." Niccolò had gotten the documents decoded while Ezio slept. Ezio stood adjusting his armour. He had a feeling that today's tasks were going to reach well into the night once again.

"If we do not stamp out the Borgia presence in this region we are going to be overrun. From the sound of it Cesare plans to significantly increase the size of his army in Roma before the attack."

"When?"

"I do not know. The document is incomplete. I can only guess somewhere in the city another courier is running to deliver the second portion" Niccolò threw the letter down in frustration. Ezio paced back and forth with his brow furrowed.

"The barrack can be the only destination. There is a chance he will be disguised though. I can search for him, but you will have to send word if you find that is the case." Niccolò nodded in agreement and heaved a small sigh of relief at the revelation. Ezio placed his hand on his shoulder to inspirit him further.

"I will retrieve the second document. Do not worry _mio amico_" Ezio gave his weapons and vials one last cursory check and headed for the door.

"E la donna?" Niccolò called after him. Ezio paused to reply. Niccolò could see the tension increase in his stance.

"Nessun problema." In a flash of white he was gone.

He weaved smoothly through the crowd, taking a moment to give special attention to groups of courtesans if a particularly nosey patrol would walk by. When he could finally see the large heavily guarded gate leading to the barracks he found an empty space on a bench and waited. He looked cautiously at every passerby and listened for any hint as to the identity of the courier. A flock of pigeons suddenly took flight from the roof above him. He slowly moved his hand toward his blade. Something soared across the street in his peripheral vision and he smiled slyly. Putting up his hand he motioned a half wave to the unseen object.

Ezio inadvertently caught the eye of a young women shopping at a merchant across the street. She blushed at him and waved back. She moved back and forth gracefully as she picked up random items and put them back patiently waiting for him to walk over. She pushed her hair back from her face so that she could give him flirtatious sidelong glances and smiles. Ezio looked in every direction for the courier. There was no sign of him so he decided to take a chance on the eager _bella donna_. Ezio made it midway the street before spotting a red tunic rushing toward him. _Dannazione! _Returning to the bench would to be impossible without drawing attention and the crowd was too thin for him to blend in. His mind was not made up until he was face to face with the messenger.

"_Assassino!_" his eyes bulged in terror.

"_Salve._" Ezio replied with a grin followed by a swift punch to the face. He retrieved the document from the unconscious messenger as the crowds ran screaming. Opting for a retreat instead of a scuffle with the guards he climbed to the rooftop of the nearest building. He bowed with a smile to the woman he never got to meet and ran quickly to meet Niccolò.

"No. No. No." Ezio ran his hand over his face with a sigh. His irritation was undeniable.

"Lead with your right. You are not chopping a pheasant for dinner. You are trying to kill a man". The words hung in the air like fog. Lucia could barely swallow the lump of reality that was stuck in her throat. She was learning how to kill a person.

"Watch" he walked behind her and placing his hand on her stomach pulled her into him. He placed his other hand over hers. His embrace was comforting and she relaxed leaning into him.

"Keep your form" he stated gruffly pushing her forward. Even after straightening out she still felt awkward and clumsy, but Ezio continued.

"Strike! Strike! Strike!" she could feel the strength of each word rumble in his chest before the warmth of it passed her ear. The power of his muscles was manifested with every swing.

"Thrust and turn" he turned gracefully pulling her along as she stumbled over her own feet. The attack was to end with a power blow to the head of the wooden stand, but instead the sword clanged noisily to the ground. Ezio sighed.

"_Mi dispiace mentore_." She dropped her head in shame.

"I am so accustomed to leading with my left. I am finding the switch difficult" He looked at her in disbelief and erupted in laughter.

"Why did you not say anything?"

"I was trying to follow instructions"

"The essence of being an _assassino_ is standing up against things you know to be wrong" he retorted raising an eyebrow. A distinct flowery scent over the breeze compelled him to postpone the conclusion of the lesson.

"Let's try again. Different hand this time" He pulled her into him gently. Her form fitted him more precisely in this stance and she flowed right along through the turn successfully executing a powerful blow against the target.

"Much better" They performed the deadly dance several more times before he ended the training session.

"_Grazie mentore_" Lucia bowed. When she rose she caught a glimpse of a person approaching them. The person was as armed as Ezio. She gripped her sword tightly in preparation.

"_Va bene_" he nodded without turning to see who it was.

After Lucia left he stood motionless. Even as Francesca made a spirited approach he remained still. He could hear her breathing, the rhythm of her feet quickly and quietly patting the ground, he could hear her as she leapt in the air to attack him. He ducked and rotated. Catching her legs midair he pulled her down slamming her onto the ground. She gasped in shock. He stood over her an eyebrow raised smiling coyly.

"You have been practicing" she smiled back sarcastically.

"_Sì_." He extended his hand to help her up. She pretended to accept and used the opportunity to pull him down forcefully onto her feet and flip him on his back. In the same seamless motion as before she effortlessly mounted him mid transition.

_"Merda_" he expelled in a huff disgusted with himself. She could see that he was upset and his frustration brought her a small bit of delight. She rolled off onto the ground beside him. Ezio looked over at her eyebrows knitted. Francesca refused his glares, but couldn't keep from chuckling. His face softened. The glow she possessed when she laughed was stunning. 

"I am not helping you up again" he said as he stood. In the distance he could see a small gathering of apprentices on the roof of the den watching them.

"_Splendido_"

"What is the problem?"

"How about a race? Top of the Pantheon in Centro. Through the city no rooftops."

"What?" she had not even completed the question before he took off. Running full speed down a crowded street appeared effortless to him even as she slammed into a man carrying a tray of loaves. She arrived at the base of the Pantheon just in time to watch Ezio take a bounding leap from a foothold to grasp a window sill. When she reached the top ledge she was exhausted. Every fiber in her body was burning.

"If I give you my hand will you try to throw me?"

"No" she replied breathless. He extended his hand. Francesca was alarmed by his strength as he easily pulled her up and into his arms. She let him hold her for a moment because she feared her body would collapse under the fatigue. As she tried to catch her breath she allowed her forehead to drop onto his chest. Each inhale rewarded her with his intoxicating scent. When his arms pulled tighter around her she pushed away and sat on the edge.

Ezio took a seat nearby. He was reluctant to sit too close in case this whole exchange was a ruse. With a heavy sigh he pulled down his hood and let the sun warm his face. She could not help but stare. His hair was pulled back but a few pieces remained to fall in his face. A slight breeze blew to dry the strands that perspiration clung to. His beard was well trimmed and almost perfectly bisected by a scar on his upper lip. Those deep brown eyes that only showed two emotions contemplation or mischief.

"You constantly following me is distracting. Have you made your decision?"

"About what?" she was so taken by his appearance that she had forgotten all else. Ezio smiled at her not at all unaware of the spell he had placed on her.

"Oh. _Sì_."

"_Sì_?" he raised an eyebrow waiting for the rest of the response, but instead she looked away.

"I don't think Cesare's plan is exactly what you believe it to be." The smile quickly left his face. Niccolò had warned him and here as a result of his foolishness he sat with a spy. He extended his blade. As far as he was concerned the fun was over.

"Relax. I am not spying for Cesare. I am just telling you the talk that has been going on throughout the city. I imagine it would be difficult for you to hear it since you walk around all year dressed for Carnevale. People spend more time staring than talking." she stood and tousled his hair as she walked past him. An assassin apprentice appeared briefly on a distant rooftop and vanished just as quickly, but she did not notice. For him it was a signal of return.

Ezio walked behind her and stood so close she could feel the engravings on his chest armour pressing into her back. His right hand traced the curve of her body slowly gliding upward until it met the other resting on her stomach. The left continued the journey upward. She remained stoic, calming her heart as it slid past her stomach and across her breasts. Ezio's hand paused at her neck and she tensed. Francesca swore she could hear his mind pondering what to do next. He ran his lips along her neck before whispering in her ear.

"_Grazie_ for the information". Replacing his hood Ezio headed for a wooden ledge where a flock of pigeons roosted. Standing on the very edge he said without looking back,

"If you are going to be following me you should pick a different scent for your bath oils"

"_Merda_" she thought when the realization ran through her like a sword. Ezio jumped off the ledge. Rolling his body mid flight he arched back to let the sun kiss his face before landing in the haystack below. Thirty minutes later Francesca's weary legs gratefully touched down in the Pantheon courtyard.


	4. Chapter 3

Thanks for reading! Please message with any issues translation or otherwise.

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><p>"Ezio Auditore!" the greeting was followed by a swift almost toppling slap to the back. Sometimes Bartolomeo did not realize his own strength. Years of heavy weapon wielding and an excessive amount of time spent on his favorite hobby, bare knuckle brawling made him seem less man and more beast.<p>

"Bartolomeo, _mio amico_. How is Bianca? Still getting along with your wife I hope." Bartolomeo laughed boisterously. The banter about his sword being his second wife was an ongoing source of humor for him.

"They do not argue as much as they used to. How about your wife?" he replied nudging Ezio sharply in the ribs.

"_Prego_?" Ezio replied rubbing the newly sore area.

"Your wife. I hear she has you on some very tight reins. Always has to know where you are. Punishes you quite severely when she is displeased." Ezio was still very confused and it was written all over his face. Bartolomeo draped his arm over Ezio's shoulder and with a grin gave another hint.

"A word of advice _mio amico_, you would not have so many problems if you kept her on her back instead of the other way around." Bartolomeo laughed even louder than before quite pleased with his crafty joke. Ezio could only muster an uncomfortable chuckle when Claudia came to his rescue.

"I would rather not hear about my brother's endeavors in person. It is bad enough hearing about them as rumors."

"_Mi dispiace signora. _I did not mean to offend" Ezio mouthed a silent _grazie_ as a visibly distressed Niccolò arrived with La Volpe the master thief.

"Things are not looking good for us mi amici. Cesare intends to eliminate the assassin vermin or so he says according to his letters by marching on all of the dens across the city using an increased army. Once the dens have been destroyed he will turn his attention to us here at Tiber. Thanks to our good friend Leonardo we finally have a time. Five days from now we will have a Borgia _cani_ infestation unlike anything we have ever seen." There was a fire in Niccolò's eyes which replaced the overpowering despair that had overtaken him only a few days prior.

"We can handle that easily. Cesare does not have enough support in this region to add more than 100 men to his ranks." Bartolomeo quipped confidently.

"That is what I thought as well until today." The normally silent La Volpe produced a crumpled piece paper from his robe allowing it to roll across the table.

"One of my thieves retrieved this poster accidentally while pick pocketing a Borgia messenger. It offers double the pay to any person willing to enlist for this attack."

"Alright maybe 150 men. I do not think that there will be many willing to enlist for such a small pay increase." Bartolomeo conceded pacing the floor as his worry increased.

"The enlistment is for this single endeavor. The man is released from duty when it is over. Cesare knows he will be unable to find any willing mercenaries to take this assignment. So he is using the citizens of _Roma_ to suit that purpose." La Volpe replied unwavering.

"Mio dio" Claudia whispered.

"I…persuaded an archer to tell me if the poster was real. It is. Stacks will be transported to captains all across the city as soon as today's printing is completed." La Volpe scanned the room. The anxiety was clear on everyone's face. Ezio felt a sickness in his stomach. For double the pay every beggar and lute player in the city would pick up a sword against the assassins.

"_Roma_ is in troublesome times. It will be hard for people to see the light when they are only surrounded by darkness." Ezio gave a disappointed sigh folding his arms.

"There is no way we can defend against this." Claudia said desperately. Ezio gently rubbed her arm for comfort.

"I have a plan. Unfortunately it involves more courier chasing. However, this time it will be strategic. We strike first coordinated and strong." Niccolò's confidence was contagious.

"_Bene!_ The dogs die today!" Bartolomeo shouted, excitedly unsheathing Bianca and swinging wildly.

"Be careful with that thing. You are going to take someone's head off" Claudia growled as she unsheathed her own sword and parried his swing. When she prepared to counter Niccolò stepped between them holding up his hands.

"A coordinated strike not a wild and unpredictable one." Bartolomeo looked away in embarrassment and Claudia found solace on the other side of the room.

"We will split up the city by districts. Each of us will take the district that is most advantageous for medical attention and resupplying. Ezio, you and a group of assassins will have Tiber. Campagna will go to Bartolomeo and the mercenaries. Claudia with the courtesans in Centro. La Volpe you and your thieves will have Antico."

"What of the Vaticano?" La Volpe asked.

"I will take a group of five and cover it. Its only entrance is through Centro so there should only be a few stragglers. If the past several days have been any indication some of them will guarded. We have very little time to arrange this. We all need to make haste. In three hours we strike." Niccolò rose to leave.

"What of the runners in the red tunics? My men are not so good at rooftop battles or climbing" For the first time Bartolomeo seemed genuinely concerned.

"Neither are my girls." Claudia chimed in.

"I had not considered that." Niccolò ran his hand over his face. The fatigue had set in. He and Ezio had slept so little in the last few days and it was beginning to take its toll. Caveats he was normally the first to think of had slipped by him. The group granted him silence for a moment to think, but only the holes in his idea swirled through his head. Ezio walked over to the window. He could just barely see the rooftop entrance of the Rosa in Fiore.

"The plan will still work. I can trade a group of assassins to Claudia for a group of courtesans. La Volpe and Bartolomeo can trade in the same manner. The distance back to the den will be a little further, but not significant." After a brief moment of contemplation everyone nodded in agreement.

"_Niente è vero. Tutto è permesso."_They repeated together as a small showing of solidarity before what was sure to be harrowing next several hours.

The promotion ceremony was hasty. What was usually a time for celebrating the hard fought achievement was quickly bushed over with a few well placed words from Ezio. A hearty round of applause greeted the two new master assassins, Tomà and Marco. They briefly exchanged handshakes and embraces before Niccolò added Tomà to his troop and headed for the Vaticano district. Ezio dismissed Marco with fifteen others to assist Claudia in Centro. He had very little time remaining before Niccolò's planned attack time. Rolling out his map across the table he tossed out assignments like loaves of bread.

"The two of you will cover these streets here." Despite the speed Ezio still placed each of them cautiously. Careful to pair recruits with senior apprentices taking into consideration each assassins fighting style and weapon discipline.

"Try to avoid fights wherever possible. Go from one target to the next as quickly as possible. I will be on the move assisting you as needed." The last group bowed in unison fists over their hearts. They filed out in silence the seriousness of the moment weighing heavily on their hearts. As they left Ezio walked to the window closing his eyes to the breeze. He secretly wished to smell a subtle hint of lavender in the air, but nothing. Over the bustle of the city below he could hear a quiet voice.

"_Mentore_. I did not get an assignment. Am I going with you?" Lucia asked hopefully. The painful reality was he had simply overlooked her. Ezio opened his eyes as the fog cleared. Lucia had finally figured out how to put on her armour properly and it fit her well. Without a hood he could see how beautifully flowing light brown hair framed her face. Her genuinely sweet smile put him at ease. She looked good. Why he had not noticed before was a mystery. Maybe Bartolomeo was right. His "marriage" to Francesca was really getting in the way of the dalliances he would normally enjoy. Lucia's smile faded slowly into concern as the seconds ticked by. Looking her from head to toe Ezio had forgotten to answer.

"_Mi dispiace_. Your assignment is for the rooftop couriers. You are fast enough to catch them. They are cowards and will give up without you having to draw your sword." She smiled relieved to know that she was not intentionally left out.

"_Grazie Mentore_." With a bow, she turned to leave.

"Be careful" he called after her before she passed through the doorway. Lucia looked back at him.

"He is actually smiling at me," she thought as his mouth curled into the askew smile every woman in Roma swooned over. In her heart she wanted to run back and kiss him. She had imagined it so many times in her head. Instead she turned away bashfully unable to hold back a toothy grin. Lucia left blissfully unaware that had she given in to her heart's desire at that moment he would have let her.

"_Cazzo_!" Ezio exclaimed loudly with so much frustration that it caught the apprentices by surprise. They had never seen him so upset. He stood pushing his foot into the chest of the guard he had just impaled with his scimitar. With a forceful jolt, the body collapsed in a bloody heap. This was the fourth fight he had to intervene in since Niccolò's coordinated strike had begun an hour earlier. Each pair of assassins had been easily overwhelmed when trying to overtake couriers. It was an unexpected show of force which caused him to reassign several of them into groups of threes instead of the more efficient pairings. Yet again in the distance, he could hear citizens screaming and the faint ping of steel colliding with steel.

Rushing past a few shocked people, he ran up a wall and grabbed a window ledge. Hand over hand until he reached the roof then another bounding leap to the top of the rooftop garden. Ezio peered in all directions trying to discern which assassins he had to rescue next. A small flash of white caught his eye. A sole assassin valiantly holding his own against three guards, but there were several more running to intercept.

"Where is his partner?" Ezio thought as he took off in a blaze. He jumped from roof to roof careful not to lose sight of the battle. As he got closer, the question was answered. There was not a partner. The awkward stance the unsure swings, it was Lucia. He quickened his pace until his legs hurt. Even though he was going as fast as they would propel him it seemed that everything was moving at half speed. He was painfully aware of every breath. The clinking sound of the clay roof under his feet was almost deafening. The summer air whistling past his face felt as cold as ice. He extended his blades and leapt onto the back of the Elite locked in battle with Lucia. Ezio could feel the snap of the bones as he drove both of them deep in the guard's back. As the blood flowed and he dropped gasping to the ground, Ezio caught Lucia's eye with a smile. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips before he saw the look in her eyes that he dreaded to see from friends, a sudden awareness of death followed by a shroud intense pain. She was driven through by a Brute's halberd.

Ezio caught her as she became rigid from shock. He cradled her head in his arm and caressed her face. When she started sobbing uncontrollably, he gently wiped away the tears. Ezio could feel her going cold. He pulled her closer in what he knew to be a vain attempt to restore her temperature. As he touched his forehead to her own Lucia could feel a single drop of his sweat drop to her cheek.

"_Mi dispiace tanto."_ He managed to sputter between pants. Even through the excruciating pain, Lucia still managed to smile.

"_Va be…_" Death's angel saw fit to take her before she granted Ezio forgiveness.

"_Requiescat en pace mio caro" _He ran his hand tenderly over her eyelids to close them for the final time. The whole plan had fallen apart and Lucia's death was a testament to that. He could only imagine that the others were fairing just as badly. The number of guards prepared to fight in any given location was more than he had ever seen in Tiber. He could not save all of them. He could not even save one of them. What originally started out as frustration now rushed through his veins boiling his blood. A blistering anger he had not felt since Uberto Alberti. Ezio laid her corpse carefully on the stone street. Unsheathing his sword, he turned to face his opponents. Nostrils flared with a breath he was unable to calm or quiet.

"_Il diavolo_" one of the guards whispered. Even from under his hood, the fire in his eyes was clear. The first guard did not even have time to react. Ezio was on him in seconds with a blade through the sternum and a crossbow arrow between the eyes. As he fell clutching the blade in his chest Ezio swung around slicing his companion across the jugular with one of his hidden blades. A spray of blood covered the bystanders that were brave enough to stick around. A pair of knives hit their target right in the throats of two agile guards. Even after one of them managed to extract the obstruction he continued to drop to his knees with gasps and gurgles. Ezio retrieved his sword from the first body and proceeded with a scowl towards the final two guards, shooting a rooftop guard mid stride. One them immediately lost his nerve and took off running. Ezio willingly granted his retreat with a smirk. In exchange for reprieve he paid with a bullet shattered kneecap. The other shakily stood his ground too mortified to run but too stupid to yield. Mentally Ezio went through the dance, their dance. Strike! Strike! Strike! Thrust and turn. The power strike was coated with so much fury the guard was decapitated. His head rolled across the street and rocked back and forth at the feet of an elderly woman.

"_Dio abbia pietà tua anima" _she said shaking her head at Ezio with eyes that had seen too much pain, too much bloodshed. He dropped his head. The storm had passed and at the end of it, his white robe was white no more.

"_Mentore._" Several assassins dropped down from rooftops and stood from benches having witnessed the massacre. However, only one of them was brave enough to speak. He attempted to place his hand on Ezio's shoulder, but Ezio shrugged it off and knelt beside Lucia's body. Placing her body in burial position, he lifted her slowly and began carrying her back to the den. The recruits followed in solemn procession.

"Give the signal of return," Ezio said expressionless to one of the assassins.

"To who _Mentore_?" The unspoken "Everyone" resonated so loudly in his head he swore he saw it shake the top of _Castel Sant'Angelo_.


	5. Chapter 4

Welcome back and thanks for the read. Please pm with any issues.

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><p>"Seventeen in Tiber" Niccolò felt nauseous speaking the words. Only one tally finished for a single district four more remained. Other than that everyone was silent even Bartolomeo. Ezio's stillness was the hardest to bear as he sat with his back toward them. He had not moved in over an hour, but Claudia dared not force the issue. La Volpe entered the room with such natural stealth everyone jumped slightly in surprise when he spoke.<p>

"Some recruits asked me if it is possible to leave the order. They are having reservations."

"What did you say?" Niccolò asked without looking up from his papers.

"Nothing"

"Tally them among the dead. I will release them later." Ezio finally spoke in a mumble that was barely understandable.

"What?" Niccolò and La Volpe asked simultaneously.

"By wondering if it is possible they have already lost faith in the creed. Count them among the dead and move on." Ezio replied coldly. La Volpe added the names to the ledger.

"Twenty"

"Besides, things did not really go as planned today. Everything fell apart so quickly. We all ended up acting out of desperation instead of with thought." Claudia perked up. Ezio had clearly spoken out loud words only intended for him. He had not talked to anyone about the brutality showed after Lucia's death, but they all heard the whispers in the stairwell and noted the shifty eyes in the dining hall.

There was a small commotion downstairs, but none of them gave it any regard. Since their return the air of discord was heavy in the den. Recruits were arguing amongst themselves each of them trying to blame the other. None of them dared question the decision of the mentors. Certainly the blame lay on them. They had not fought hard enough or used their skills to the best of their ability. It was only swells of arguments though and the commotion died down as quickly as it started.

"What did happen today?" Ezio's brow furrowed. Deathly silence that haunted them for the last hour was broken and the hostility growing in his voice was clear.

"We were overwhelmed that should be obvious" Niccolò took a slight offence to the tone.

"Overwhelmed is an understatement! The number of extra guards is something that could not have been overlooked. We should have easily picked up on the surge days ago." Ezio glared at Niccolò for an answer. Niccolò was one his few trusted friends and Ezio often rushed headlong into his plans without question. His precision and constant drive for perfection was something Ezio admired most in him. Questioning if attention had been paid and all possibilities considered gave Niccolò reason to rise glaring from his chair.

"You greatly underestimated the intelligence of Cesare." Ezio's heart raced it felt like it would fly out of his chest.

"Francesca?" Almost in a whisper he both hoped and dreaded. Having never actually heard her name Niccolò could only guess by Ezio's tone and expression.

An all too familiar thud of a body hitting the floor was followed by her appearance in the doorway. She stepped in with a walk that was as sultry as her bright orange and blue courtesan garb. Her hair pulled up a few silky curls falling rebelliously around her ears and in front of those maddening green eyes. A touch of red on the cheeks and a little red on her lips was all that graced her already stunning features. Her blouse was cut low. Lower than the first night they met. It was intentionally cropped short and her stomach was exposed for about a hand's breadth width. The skirt slouched low on her waist leaving the question of what was to been seen an inch beyond it up to the observer's imagination. Ezio managed to keep his imagination at bay even if his pulse was not listening. He saw courtesan outfits all the time, employing them frequently when he needed a guard distraction. On Francesca the outfit was different. He already thought her beautiful, but was easily diverted from her figure when she was in a tunic and trousers.

Claudia was not as sidetracked as the men immediately recognizing that she was not one of her girls from Rosa in Fiore she drew her sword. Giving the most open display of trust she could muster Francesca unbuckled her scabbard and let it drop to the floor. She suddenly felt naked. When Claudia hesitated to sheath her sword the thought that she had made a terrible mistake crossed her mind. Claudia caught Ezio's strained face out the corner of her eye and relaxed her stance.

"I thought you were a mercenary" Ezio could not help but pause uncomfortably through the statement. Sex with a courtesan was fine men did it all the time, but to actually fall…

"I am." She replied coldly her intense eyes boring through him

"Why are you? I am not protesting but…"

"I needed to get in here without being attacked out right." Ezio's face went pale as he recalled the thud he disregarded earlier. Rushing to the door she stopped him midway.

"They are not dead just unconscious." In his relief he accidently uttered an audible sigh which she rewarded with a raised brow and a smirk.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Niccolò" she thought. A terse, impatient and notoriously rude man from what she gathered from citizens around the city. She opted for the moment to ignore him. She was only here for Ezio.

"Cesare is a brilliant strategist and he has beaten you mercilessly. Guard numbers have been quietly and steadily increasing for weeks now. You have been drowning slowly and did not even realize." Niccolò sneered in disbelief more than a little miffed that she ignored his question.

"Assumptions about the wickedness of Cesare have trumped your belief in the good of the people Niccolò." His smirk descended sharply into a scowl. She knew his name what else did she know about him or anyone else for that matter? _Dannazione _Ezio what cobra have you brought into the nest? Feeling the emotional air shift Bartolomeo began to pace the floor with his hand tensing and relaxing around the hilt of his sword. Francesca tracked each of his steps without letting it show in her face. She could not see Claudia but judging by Ezio's expression she was also on the verge of attacking. Regrets of her sheath lying in the doorway pained her stomach now.

"The posters you have been desperately trying to stop have been up for quite some time scattered in a few places throughout _Roma_. When there was very little response from the people most of the posters went out to other regions, other cities entirely. Now I suspect there will be a surge in _Roma_. Your little display today, blood in the streets unlike anything they have ever seen. The people are in fear now for their lives, families and businesses. For them you became the enemy." Francesca could see the scathing reply growing steadily behind Niccolò's eyes. Shaking her head in doubt she continued knowing there was no getting a word in edgewise if she did not.

"You walked right into it without a second thought. Cesare never wanted to attack you. He was unable! No power! No reason! Now, he will get the people to do it for him and they will shower him in glory when he hangs each of you from the gallows."

"Did you find this out after you slid out of Cesare's bed or while trying to slide into Ezio's?" Ezio's face reddened with embarrassment but it was short lived. Francesca shot out with the speed and grace he had become accustomed to and caught Niccolò by surprise. Removing his own dagger from his belt she pressed it into his throat without a word. Those brilliant green eyes seem to change color as rage clouded them over. She could not figure out why Niccolò's statement bothered her so. Men said it constantly. Anytime she managed to usurp them in information gathering that was their only defense. Maybe it was the fact that he insinuated her bedding Ezio. Either way all she could think about at this moment was of his smug lifeless body on the floor. Claudia and Bartolomeo instantly drew their weapons.

Ezio froze in thought of Ignazio a nightmare black horse he had a child. Trying to reign in the wild stallion cost him a broken arm when he attempted to face him head on. The only recourse was to jump on Ignazio's back and hold on. Just hold on until the wildness passed.

Ezio rushed forward as Claudia charged. He caught a glancing edge of her sword against his arm just as he grabbed Francesca. Watching only for Claudia, Francesca was unprepared to defend against Ezio's strong arms wrapping around her so tightly she could barely breathe. He continued to rush forward until they slammed into the far wall. He hoped the startling blow would jar the blade from her hand, but she held on tight. Even as Francesca struggled against him with a growl each wriggle only netted her a tighter squeeze. Ezio whispered in a low gruff tone into her ear.

"Do not fight me on this. _Per favore._" Swearing under her breath for letting his voice have such a soul shaking effect on her, Francesca yielded to his desire dropping the dagger to the floor and kicked it in Niccolò's direction. Ezio released just enough of his hold to be able to look into her eyes. Eyes that were asking to be let go but failed to communicate it to a body that was no longer struggling against his embrace.

"You are bleeding"

"Huh?" She could only smile and shake her head in response. She found small comfort in knowing her power over him had not waned. She managed to wriggle her arm up and brush her fingers across the wound.

"You are bleeding" she said flatly holding up the crimson coated hand giving him reason to let go. Wrapping his hand around the slight cut he was still unable to break his gaze from hers. _Dannazione quegli occhi._ Hypnosis so strong Ezio did not notice Niccolò's approach.

"I assume this is your idea of _nessun problema_? Your distraction has plodded its way into the midst of our den!" Niccolò made no attempts to hide his anger as a pressure bruise began to redden on his neck. Claudia and Bartolomeo remained tense. All Niccolò need do was flinch and they would sever her in half. Francesca refused to back down.

"I only came here to help. It may not be too late to stop this."

"It was too late the instant you walked in here" Niccolò replied motioning Claudia and Bartolomeo closer.

"_Mio dio _you arrogant _bastardo_. I stand here offering help, information, a way to stop Cesare in his tracks and you refuse. Why?" He glared as he drew his sword refusing to answer.

"Wait! Let's hear what she has to say" Ezio stepped directly in front of Niccolò shielding Francesca from view. Only Ezio was aware of her instant respite as she expelled a sigh and etched her fingers against his back gently resting her head against him.

"You realize the only reason I have tolerated her for this long is for your sake." he stepped closer for words only meant for Ezio.

"If it were not for _questa merda_ _con_ Lucia she would be dead already. You have lost your senses with this one _mi amico_ I pray we are not made to suffer any further for it." Niccolò waved off Claudia and Bartolomeo and sat with a huff across the room. Ezio was unable to hide his surprise at Claudia. Niccolò had to actually call her off. Would she have attacked him if instructed? All he could do was silently wish this day would not get any worse.

He turned to Francesca and held her face in his hands. She was noticeably startled and jumped slightly at the touch. His hands were rough but with the gentleness he used to cradle her one would never guess the bloodshed they were capable of. He brought his face down to meet hers. Francesca allowed her mind to wander in the manly smell of him. It naturally lapsed into imagery of their lips touching the softness of his on hers. His tongue requesting entry between her parted lips. She closed her eyes and leaned into him.

"Say your piece quickly and please control your temper. I do not think I can hold Niccolò at bay much longer." Ezio pulled back and noticed that her eyes were closed. She opened them when he moved his hands away and tilted his head with a knowing smile. She scoffed and pushed him aside moving to the center of the room.

"Perhaps we should start again. My name is Francesca del Caccia. I am a mercenary by trade but I was born into a long line of assassins." With a fist over her heart she bowed her respects.

Continuing her story she described how a blood oath bound her family to the assassin order for five generations. Her own delivery caused the death of Signora del Caccia leaving her and her brother in the care of their father a Master Assassin in Barcelona. Frequent missions meant they were often left at the den under the supervision of Xiao Lun a recruit from the east. To occupy their time Xiao Lun gave them both training. Francesca received mainly hand to hand combat training due in part to her age and frailty. A couple of years later he introduced her to small weapons. She decided to advance in close quarters combat instead of sword play like her brother. After a mortal wounding her father made her swear on his death bed that she would leave the last fulfillment of the blood oath to her brother. The next several years she spent living with a violent ill tempered uncle. At sixteen she ran away and joined a clan of mercenaries. Despite having sworn to her father she had secretly taken the assassin's oath in her heart. Finding the clan she joined to be nothing more than murders and petty thieves she struck out on her own using the creed as the basis for her assignments.

"My heart is now and forever with The Order. I want so desperately to take the oath officially but my promise forbids it. To see you take it for granted saddens me. Assassins are capable of such deadly finesse instead you have chosen brute force and public anger which goes counter to everything…" her voice trailed off because of the emotion rising in her throat.

Faces in the room softened with Francesca's story. Niccolò walked towards her slowly. At first she deciphered it as sinister but as he got closer she could see unwilling care in his eyes.

"I have a hard time believing I should trust you but I do trust Ezio's judgment. For the time being a truce and alliance." Francesca smiled softly at the thawing of Niccolò's heart.

"_Bene!_ I learned that Cesare invested everything he has in this unspoken war. If he fails Rodrigo refuses to give him another florin. A chest was delivered to the city a short while ago containing the payments for the week. Once it is gone Cesare has nothing left to give. I believe that most of the men fighting now do it only for the money. I propose we go to the barracks and steal it." No one bothered to conceal their gasps. Ezio moaned covering his eyes and shaking his head.

"That is suicide."

"It is unexpected. I think we could provide sufficient distraction for La Volpe to get in and out without notice. It is important though that we fight them as close to the barracks as possible. Then we can know for sure that everyone inside will respond." Niccolò frowned in contemplation before speaking.

"That would also keep the citizens out of the way. It would be easier to give each other assistance."

"Do you think we have enough time to prepare? I imagine we would need to do this tomorrow." Ezio decided to step outside of his norm and voice his concern about the plan. Out of everyone in the room he appeared to be the most distressed.

"We will have to discuss this thoroughly." Niccolò responded pacing the floor.

"We have to plan this with as few people as possible. No recruits or distraction groups only those that are masters of their craft. We cannot afford anymore unnecessary casualties." Francesca looked directly at Ezio as she spoke those words. Having witnessed Lucia's death and the subsequent slaughter she found herself wanting to protect him from any further heartache.

"Agreed. Let us part ways for the moment. Everyone, take some time to think of any possible problems with this arrangement" Claudia raised her hand speaking sarcastically.

"Umm yeah I can think of one. It is the barracks."

"This is why we need to give more than the normal amount of attention to possibilities." Niccolò spoke sternly. Claudia rolled her eyes more so at Francesca than Niccolò and left the room.

"Francesca when we are ready to reconvene how do we get in touch with you?"

"I am staying here for the night." Ezio's glance immediately met her own with a devious smile.

"So you can tell the night watch to not bother with the roof I will have it covered."


	6. Chapter 5

Ezio was unable to sleep left, right, back, nothing. Part of it was him being powerless to keep his mind off of tomorrow's events what was likely to be a suicide mission into the lion's den. The other part of him on the edge of insanity knowing Francesca was so close. He offered to relinquish his room for her comfort but she chose to sleep on the roof instead. He could hear her moving quietly back and forth.

"She must be as restless as I am" he whispered to himself in the dark. He closed his eyes firmly and tried again to relax his mind. Hearing her pace across the roof yet again propelled him out of bed. Pulling on a shirt and trousers he slipped out his window quietly edging up hand over hand. The pacing stopped when a piece of the crumbling exterior flaked off in his hand and disintegrated on the street below. Ezio paused expecting a projectile to the head at any moment. His arms started to shake as he held the deathly stillness. Satisfied with the eerie silence above he continued to the top.

"Francesca?" The roof was dark but small patches of light gave enough visibility for Ezio to notice she was gone. He walked over to the rooftop garden. Pulling back the curtains all he found was an empty bed roll. He heard movement on the edge of the roof and instinctively reached for his dagger.

"_Merda_" all of weapons were in his room. Unnerved he walked slowly toward the noise. Looking over the ledge he saw nothing. Not a soul in either direction on the street. A tiny smile crept across his lips.

"Francesca. If you attack me I swear I will not hold back." He ran his hands over his face when there was no response. Fatigue had him talking to shadows. Rubbing the stiffness out of his neck he walked back toward his window. With a brief rustle of leaves he was flat on his stomach, his right arm twisted deeply behind his back and Francesca's left tightening around his throat.

"_Cazzo_" he managed to grunt out between struggled breaths.

"What are you doing up here?" she whispered in his ear in his ear playfully. He grinned broadly as she relaxed her grip on his throat.

"I just came up here to talk but we cannot seem to ever do that without you putting your hands all over me" She expelled a disgusted sigh and released him fully.

"You realize I let you do that? I am starting to like this whole you grappling me thing." That statement netted him a generous eye roll. Inside she was slightly pleased that he was enjoying the deviant style of her company but tried not to let the emotion show.

"Are you really going to sleep up here?"

"_Sì_. Why not? The only reasonable threat to me in this district would be an assassin and you guys seem to have an unnatural aversion to trees." She smiled in response. It dawned on Ezio that he had never actually seen her smile, at least not at him in a friendly context.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Terrified" she was suddenly serious again.

"I am having a difficult time accepting that we may not come back from this" she dropped her head sullen.

"Of course we will. You still have a mercenary contract to fulfill remember?" Ezio walked closer to her with a mischievous smile. Gently he rubbed his hand against her cheek. Francesca's breath stuttered slightly at the contact before she moved away.

"I hope you have been practicing your combat. We will have a very tight area to work in tomorrow. I would not want you to accidently maim me."

"Perhaps you could show me a thing or two?" She was unable to hold in the shock.

"Right now? In the dark? On the roof?" Ezio nodded a delighted yes to each of her questions.

"_Sì_. This is how _mio padre_ taught me swordplay. The level of concentration required to fight up here shortens the learn time."

"_Va bene_. Stand over there. I will attack and you defend. You are not allowed any weapons. You can either defeat or disarm me. Both count as a success." Ezio took position as she retrieved a pair of short wooden staves from a satchel in the rooftop garden.

"She is going to attack me with a stick" he thought laughing to himself. Even after she started the charge he still imagined it to be a joke until she struck him solidly across the head.

"_Che cazzo!" _Ezio reeled in pain holding his head. Francesca stumbled back in surprise.

"Why did you not defend" She brushed his hand aside and ran her fingers across the quickly swelling lump along his hairline.

"I thought you were doing it for a laugh. Who attacks with a stick?

"They are _wakizashi_ and _mi dispiace_." She replied allowing her fingers to continue past the lump and run through his hair. Ezio took the lingering motion as an invitation to pull her closer. He leaned in until his cheek rubbed against hers. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply the sweet scent of her. The lavender aroma was still there albeit muted. She began to run her other hand from his chest to his stomach. She could feel the muscles in his abdomen clearly defined beneath his thin linen shirt. As her palm trailed, the rise and fall of his chest quickened against her. Or maybe it was her own breath that was increasing, the minute distance between them made it difficult for her to tell. Her fingers continued to trace daintily over his physique until they met resistance at the band of his trousers. She could feel the roughness of his breath as it passed her ear filled with wonton desire. Ezio's hands began to wander leaving their initial resting spot on her hips to glide slowly upward. On their journey they became entangled in the folds of the fabric causing her shirt to lift with the motion. A slight breeze betrayed his intentions when goose bumps rose on her exposed stomach. Despite the warmth it seemed more like a splash of cold water to the face. Francesca hesitated for only moment but it was long enough for her mind win the battle against her heart and she pulled away.

"Shall we try again?" Ezio uttered an exasperated laugh before erupting into a loud growl through clenched teeth.

"_Sì_"

Francesca quickly became aware of Ezio's heighted senses during their rooftop practice. He seemed faster, more agile. He easily avoided her swings and countered her counters. Several times she knew she was in a position where he could strike her if he chose, but he would always pause with a playful smile as if to say "Got you again." More often than not she found herself either wrapped in his arms tightly or supine beneath him. Arms and legs heavy with exhaustion was the only hindrance to further practice but Francesca refused to be the first to give in.

"Ready to stop?" She managed to ask between inhales. Her question had a slight twinge of begging behind it that Ezio pretended not to notice.

"_Sì_" he stood across from her out of breath. They were both drenched with sweat but the way her shirt clung to her body gave him reason to clear his throat nervously and look away. He lay down on the roof and gently patted the tile next to him with an inviting smile. Francesca smiled back cheeks reddening. Embarrassment from the accidental blush made her blush even more. But she joined him anyway. The silence between them lasted longer than it ever had since their meeting and oddly enough it was the longest they had ever gone without touching when together. Ezio eventually moved his hand over slightly, taking her index finger between two of his own rubbing it gently. Francesca felt no need to contain her blush this time and returned the tender gesture in kind.

"I want you…" disbelief and anger simultaneously clouded Francesca's face when she looked over at Ezio her eyes boring through him.

"to be on my team tomorrow for the attack." He could not help but smile deceitfully.

"_Va benne_" she replied with a defeated sigh. He rose to his feet suddenly at her response. Unsure of his intent she did the same.

"I need to get some sleep, as do you. You are still welcome to my room" He raised an eyebrow to his wording having a deliberate double meaning.

"I will be fine up here. _Grazie_ for the offer." Smiling he brought his hand to her cheek gently. For the first time she did not seem startled at the gesture. He kissed her lips tenderly and pulled away slowly. It was a tiny bit of intimate contact but for her a spark to the flame and she leaned into him even as he pulled away to prolong the experience. Feeling her body press into his, he delayed their separation placing his hand on her lower back and pulling her even closer. She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and kissed him firmly. Francesca prayed silently that he did not hear the heart that was threatening to pound its way out of her chest. Increasing heat between them and an unexpected guttural moan from his throat jolted Ezio back to reality. He pulled away trying to conceal the increasing rasp of his breathing. Every fiber of his being wanted to take advantage of her newly discovered eagerness but regret was one thing he did not want her to have when she woke up beside him in the morning. Despite the tremendous disappointment he separated from her fully.

"_Buonanotte"_

"_Buonanotte"_ she whispered after he had already disappeared over the ledge.

* * *

><p>"You can have her" Niccolò mumbled to Ezio with a wave of his hand as the others strolled out of the hall.<p>

Despite restless sleep and an aching body Ezio had been the first in the meeting hall. Francesca appeared only moments before the room became crowded. He stood at her presence grinning broadly. She froze for a moment unsure of what to say or do, exposing her feelings to him last night left her feeling emotionally armorless. She averted her eyes and shifted nervously under the weight of his stare.

"_Buongiorno_." Ezio hoped the simple greeting would cut the heavy tension.

"_Buongiorno_." She blushed and stowed away in the corner of the room as the others entered.

Niccolò organized the groups in troops of six save for one, a pairing of Tomà and Ezio. The two of them were assigned to the initial drawing out of guards from the barracks. Ezio grimaced slightly at the announcement and even more so at Tomà's eager hand on his shoulder. Niccolò had pretended not to notice. However, he could not disguise the hurt in his eyes when Francesca dropped her head in disappointment upon being assigned to his team. It was not until the emptying of the meeting hall and subsequent juvenile moping of Ezio that Niccolò conceded.

"You can have her"

"You are rearranging the troops?" he replied with a steely gaze. Ezio refused to act as if he did not recognize Niccolò's attempt at thievery.

"People call me lots of things, fool is not one of them." He gave Ezio a pat on the back with a laugh but the amusement was lost in his silence.

"You only looked disappointed when I assigned you. I swear when I assigned her she mentally decapitated me. Not something you want the person swinging a sword behind you in the heat of battle thinking." Ezio remained silent. Seeing the conversation going no further than a monologue Niccolò moved to leave the room.

"Besides could you still stand to call me a man if I did not at least try" The third attempt managed to illicit a chuckle from Ezio.

* * *

><p>For the first time they were a dichotomous pair. The silence between them as they strolled was a relief for Francesca but an uncomfortable pain for Ezio. She was finding it easiest to avoid conversation with him by staying a half pace behind, enough for him to need to turn to talk with her but not enough for it to be obvious that she was dodging it. She could not help enjoying the view. That swaggered gait all his own weaving through the crowd with armor and weapons slung from his muscular frame. Why they were going through the city using the common way was lost on her. It was so loud and people were always milling about for no reason. Heaven forbid she bump into someone they were always ready to retaliate not knowing that a fiercely guarded temper was the only thing keeping them alive. Ezio had also insisted that she wear an assassin's robe for solidarity's sake, it was heavy and hot beyond all reason. A two man patrol shuffled by giving her a glance as she tugged uncomfortably at the uniform. Her hood being pushed back further than it should have gave them full view of the burning look she shot them in return. The guards made an unnoticed turn around as she continued to fidget with the robe. Without a look Ezio slowed tugging her sleeve slightly immediately stopping the squirming, with another tug he pulled her into an empty courtyard.<p>

"Where are we…" she never finished the struggle vocally or physically before he pushed her into a haystack.

"_Silenzio!_" It was only seconds after the departure of the inquisitive patrol that Ezio pulled her angrily from the brush.

"You need to focus. If this is what our day is going to be like I will go back now for Tomà" She dropped her head apologetically tugging at the robe.

"This thing is uncomfortable. I hate wearing it. I will never be able to fight in it."

"All you have wanted since you were a child was to wear the robe. I thought you would be happy I found one in your size." He muttered the last under his breath turning his back to her.

"I did not know lechers were romantic." Ezio sighed deeply.

"_Mi dispiace _that did not sound as I intended, _grazie_" He still refused to budge.

"_Mio dio_ you are so stubborn." She sighed embracing him resting her head gently on his back she whispered another _grazie_ when he turned removed her hood and kissed her fervently.

"You do not have to wear it if you do not wish."

"You beat me to barracks and I wear your gift. I beat you I wear what I please plus twenty florins." He grinned broadly.

"_Bene_" Francesca smacked him squarely on the butt registering enough surprise to give her a leaping head start onto the nearest rooftop.


End file.
